Building on the good gained in Ramadhan

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

 

Brothers and sisters, welcome back after the blessed month of Ramadhan, and we pray that Allah would have blessed us tremendously for all our efforts made in the blessed month; and today we would have been much better as a believer, both morally and spiritually.

 

Allah has established a law regarding His connection with the believers and how we can get closer to Him.  He says good erases evil.  We have a good example of the application of this in the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) regarding the month of Ramadhan where he is reported to have said “whoever fasts Ramadhan with faith and seeking the reward of Allah will have his past sins forgiven”.

 

So good removes evil.  What is important for us to keep in mind all the time is that faith does not stay static.  Nothing in this world is static.  Even Allah says about Himself;

 

Every day He manifests Himself in yet another wondrous way.  (55:29)

 

So nothing remains stagnant; even our faith.  Our faith can increase or decrease.  In connection with this Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said; “Imaan (faith) increases or decreases”. 

 

Ramadhan is that occasion where Allah allowed the believers to increase their faith tremendously through the fast, extra worship and trying to be careful of thoughts and actions for His sake.  Our reason for doing all of this is to get Qurbay Ilaahi – getting closer to Allah.

 

When Allah wanted to show mankind how they can get closer to Him, He invited Prophet Muhammad (pboh) in His Divine Presence on the night of the mir’aj.  And he, (pboh) being our model and that one who demonstrated real success in this life, if we were to follow him and engage in much of the actions that he used to do we would insha Allah also increase our faith and gain closeness to our Lord.

 

But if after the blessed is over, we fall back into some thoughts and actions that would bring about dark spots on our heart we would be reducing our faith. 

 

It all depends on the individual and their intention, their desire and their activity.  The reason for saying this is because Allah says in the Holy Qur’an that those who try to keep their soul bright and shinning are the real successful ones.

 

It is those who believe and clothe not their beliefs with wrong - they are (truly) in security, for they are on (right) Guidance.  (6:82)

 

Scholars are of the opinion that at the time of doing a wrong deed your faith is not strong because at that time you are not mindful that Allah is with you.  This does not mean to say that we are free from faults and mistakes.  Allah says;

 

And if Allah were to seize mankind for their wrong-doing, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving (living) creature.  (16:61)

 

What does this ayat tell us?  That we do a lot of wrong, knowingly and unknowingly.  However, Allah has given us this great blessing that even if we falter we can wipe out the blemishes through repentance and engaging in good deeds.

 

The point is that we have a good head start coming out of the month of Ramadhan, therefore don’t lose it and keep building on it.

 

Some people can’t understand life so they behave like the spider.  Invest all their efforts and recourses to build a big ‘web’ paying no heed to returning to their Lord and without warning it can all come crashing down leaving them destitute and back at square one.

 

For us it is a simple reality; if when we exhale and the oxygen doesn’t go back in that is it!  All your work and aspirations come to an end.  And what next?  What about the meeting with your Lord? 

 

And this is the message of life.  Be careful all the times.  We want that when our last breath comes out our soul will be transported to a beautiful place and the Messenger of Allah (pboh) is reported to have said;

 

“The soul of the believer is in a bird hanging from a tree in Paradise until Allah returns it to his body on the day He resurrects him”.

 

Work for it.  Try your utmost to have good intentions and don’t harbour hate and malice, etc.  Islam wants us to be part of the beautiful universal family.  Let us try our best, so our faith will continue to grow and our personality would become brighter and brighter.

 

So as we have started back on this program, try your best and work hard against the baser desires as Prophet Muhammad (pboh) told his Companions “I have returned from the small Jihad (Jihad Asghar) to the big Jihad (Jihad Akbar)”.  The Sahabas enquired “what is the big Jihad?”  Prophet (pboh) said “the Jihad al nafs (inner desires).”

 

One mistake can destroy all your life’s work just as a married couple can destroy their loving relationship through one moment of ill treatment.

 

This is why we engage in the zikir and try to culture or spiritual stations to resound Allahu.  If you have Allah in your heart Satan cannot come and whisper to divert your intentions and emotions.

 

We beg Allah to forgive us for our mistakes, wipe out our evils and cover up our faults.  Keep conscious of your responsibilities and duties, and guard your faith so that when you leave this world you will have no room for regrets.

 

May Allah forgive us, bless us, guide us and protect us all insha Allah.

 

Statement on the issues and findings of the Moon Sighting Controversy to mark the 1st day of Shawwal 1434 and Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations

Issued by Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed (Al-Kamil – Aleemiyah) (PhD – Univ. of Karachi)

Release Date: 14^th Shawwal, 1434 (Hijri); August 22^nd, 2013 (Gregorian)

 

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

CONTEXT

On the 29^th night of Ramadan, 1434 (Wednesday August 7^th, 2013) the Muslim community upheld their duty and looked for the appearance of the new moon at dusk, the sighting of which would signal the start of the month of Shawwal and therefore the end of the month of Ramadan). Specific mention must be made of the following that set the tone and theme for this activity, viz.:

• From the advice of those University collaborators in Astronomy, it was recognised that moon sighting would be difficult given the age of the moon and its relative position and angle to our location in the western hemisphere.
• On the basis of precedent, the general practice by the Ulamaa was the acceptance of the regional sighting from countries in close general proximity, specifically Guyana and Grenada – two of our immediate neighbours in the region.
• Based on historical trends, the Ulamaa would be notified from their respective followers of any local moon sighting and they would communicate amongst themselves for a final position and agreement.
• It must be noted as well that there have been controversy in the past by some groups (those based locally and also from those international groups with or without local representation) who have advocated for Ummah-based sighting – so that when the moon is sighted in Mecca we can accept their sighting and our calendar dates would be consistent. This has generally been rejected by the local Ulamaa since the longitudinal and basis for declaration of the start of the month vary.

THE PROBLEMS THAT AROSE

On the night in question, no one locally saw the moon, but it was advised that the moon was sighted in Guyana by a small number of Muslims from various organisations. Contact was made with known Muslims in the community and those contacts were among the persons who saw the moon. They declared Shahada, and testified that they in fact saw the moon – a practice of acceptance established in Hadith.

IMMEDIATE ANNOUNCEMENTS

On the basis of this sighting, some of the Ulamaa announced that the next day – Thursday August 8^th, 2013, would be the Start of Shawwal and the observance of the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations. Others adopted a more cautious stance and decided to withhold their announcement until their connections in Guyana could verify the sighting. All the while, Imams at the various Jamaats were waiting with their congregations to either declare Eid on Thursday or pray the Taraweeh salaat.

PROGRESSIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ADVICE

One organisation in Guyana reportedly advised their members (and their contacts in Trinidad) that the moon sighting was not being accepted, and that they (i.e. the organisation) were observing Eid on Friday August 9^th, 2013. A prominent local Muslim organisation and Individual Ulamaa decided to accept this position and declared Eid was to be observed on Friday. They proceeded to observe the Taraweeh salaat – which derivatively meant they were in effect unavailable to their followers and other inquirers to offer their considerations. Amongst these awaiting groups included the media – seeking to advise the public and other Ulamaa seeking clarification of the position. Another Guyanese organisation advised their public that they were not accepting the moon sighting, and that Eid would be on Friday. This was also communicated to the Trinidad Ulamaa.

All of this – being imposed within the already uncertain context of acceptable moon sighting, led to further confusion within the community. Within one national Muslim organisation, some of the Ulamaa and Executive issued contrasting positions and thereby gave contradictory advice on the day of Eid.

Unavoidably, a number of issues which surfaced were identified, including, amongst others:

·        the issue of the acceptability of regional sighting

·        the confidence of various personnel in the various Ulamaa

·        the reliability of the witnesses – some members of the public, sadly, even profiling the nationality as a basis for justifying rejection of the sighting

·        the various Islamic guidance on the start and end of Ramadan and the sighting of the moon

Some of these relate to diverse positions in Fiqh based on the different schools of thought, and in this regard the overwhelming majority of persons locally and throughout the world follow the Fiqh of Abu Hanifa – by which we as members of the Ulamaa are also guided.

A FINAL POSITION

At or around 9.00 pm the Ulamaa were able to establish communication, and the justification for the non-acceptance of the sighting was stated by an individual Ulamaa – essentially brining into question the reliability of the witness accounts. The specific refutation was “perhaps they saw a star or another planet and mistook it for the moon.” The other prominent institution following the deference of Eid gave no justification, and subsequently advised they take the Guyana organisation’s stated position without question.

The Ulamaa and the Executive of the organisations involved in this matter agreed that the internal disputes in Guyana was a basis for Trinidad defining their own position, and as such were able to define the final position – The month of Ramadan had only 29 days, the moon was not sighted locally and there was controversy in Guyana as to the acceptability of the moon sighting. As such, it was decided that Eid would be observed on Friday August 9^th, a consensus agreed upon by the local Ulamaa and which was then issued by the various persons involved to their respective audiences, through the available media channels online and offline. Those who previously advised that Eid would be on Thursday retracted their statement and reissued the revised position.

SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATIONS

The matter was further pursued by myself and it was determined that those who sighted the moon included six Muslims in one location and five Muslims in another – some of these being Imams and heads of their organisations, and known to be upstanding individuals within their territories.

This then brought into question the basis on which their sighting of the moon was rejected. The contacts within the organisations were approached, and the question was posed.

To date, the responses gave some indication of the process used to determine moon sighting, but no specific rationale for rejection of the sighting of upstanding members of the Muslim community within Guyana was given.

It was further learned that the Guyanese organisations in question were involved previously in legal contentions, which made the rejection a seemingly inter-organisational political stance and not necessarily a position based on Islamic Shariah.

Reports also surfaced on the morning following this debacle that the moon was in fact sighted in Mayaro, Trinidad, by two Muslims who failed to report the sighting to their Imam or to any person or position in authority, or media house.

In a similar vein, information in the public domain is that one organisation who initially rejected the moon sighting, reversed their position and informed their community that although they would be observing Eid on Friday August 9^th, this was being done on the second day of Shawwal, and that the moon sighting on the night of Wednesday August 7^th was accepted as valid.

CONCLUSIONS

It is my conclusion that in this instance, the persons who rejected the moon sighting on the night of Wednesday August 7^th in effect allowed themselves to be misguided, misguided their members, and by extension misguided those in Trinidad who follow their lead and evidence.

It is also my conclusion that those local scholars who are aligned to specific organisations in other countries need to revisit the Islamic Shariah that guides in this instance moon sighting – and pay particular attention to the Shariah that informs the examination of evidence and the declaration of Eid, since it would serve them and the entire Muslim community well in future.

The recurring issue of moon sighting and acceptability requires institutionalised infrastructure among the decision makers to collaborate proactively and communicate – among themselves and to the wider publics. It needs to be noted that some measures have already been initiated and have progressed to an advanced degree to provide the required institutionalised support. The public is assured that further statements on this will be forthcoming as developments unfold, Inshah Allah.

It must be noted that these aforementioned measures would only relate to those committed to a unified, integrated Muslim community in Trinidad and Tobago (and by extension the region), but unfortunately these measures would not quell the issuing of already unaccepted positions of persons intent on following minority factions in other parts of the world, or in other iterations creating mischief within the community.

Finally, this issue also surfaced the need for the members of the Muslim community to recognise and defer to the authority of the scholars in such issues, show some restraint as the collaboration progresses, and not issue their own misguided or misunderstood positions in the heat of the moment and risk the same mistakes that manifested in our regional counterparts.

WE ARE ONE UMMAH, and the way for this to be realised and sustained is the adherence to the Quran and Sunnah. This can only be achieved if the esteemed Ulamaa – who are versed in advanced study of the Islamic sciences and schools of thought, and all of whom I hold in high regard – are allowed to lead the community in the ways which are defined within Islam, and in those areas to which they committed themselves, their lives and those of their families.

May Almighty Allah continue to Guide us and have Mercy on us all.

Yours sincerely,

Maulana Waffie Mohammed

Man: A Special Unit In Creation

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Human beings are special as their origin is different from the rest of creation. First of all when Allah decided to create the universe, He gave a divine Command, “be”, and the whole of the universe began as a single cell, which grew until it burst open forming the skies and the earth. Man was not a part of what became the skies and the earth. Allah tells us about this in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an. He says:

Do not those who disbelieve know that the skies and the earth were a closed up mass? Then He opened them out? And We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (21:30)

The skies (cosmos) and the earth were perfected in six periods called days in the Holy Qur’an, with each period varying in length of time, from 1000 years to 50,000 years of our reckoning.

When the earth was perfected, and all the plants and animals were already created, then Allah created Adam. The creation of man is therefore different from the creation of the rest of the creatures on the earth, as they were all created from water, but man from clay. He says:

(Allah is He) Who has made perfect everything that He created; and He began the creation of man from clay; then He made his progeny from an extract of despised fluid; then He fashioned him, then breathed into him his soul; and He gave you hearing, sight and hearts. (32:7-9)


The Soul: Refined Light

Man is a combination of a physical element - the body; and a non-physical element - the soul created from a very form of refined light not available in the universe. As a result it is very difficult to know much about the nature and capacity of the light of the soul.  Allah says:

 

And they will ask you (O Muhammad) about the ruh (i.e. the soul); Say: it is from the Command of the Lord, and you (O man) have been given very little knowledge about it. (17:84)

 

All other forms of light were created as part of the universe. Allah tells us about this in the following verse:

 

All praise is due to Allah Who created the skies and the earth and caused to come into existence darkness and light. (6:1)

 

Perhaps, the light of the earth began when Allah created the solar system He says:

 

Allah it is Who raised up the skies without any visible support; then He established Himself on the Throne; and He pressed the sun and moon into service; each pursuing its course, until an appointed term. (13:2)

 

Regarding the soul of man, it was only when Adam was created and perfected physically, that a special spark of refined light was created and commanded to enter into the chest of Adam. Allah tells us about this in the following verse:

 

So, when I (Allah) have fashioned him (Adam), and have breathed into him the soul which I created for him; then all of you (i.e. Angels and Jinns) acknowledge his superiority over you. (by prostrating in front of him). (15:29)

 

 

Man: Physical and Spiritual Elements.

With the entry of the soul into Adam man became a unit with two dimensions in his personality; viz. a physical and a spiritual.

 

Some people believe that the physical man cannot access the spiritual world, except through a particular channel, but Islam teaches that in every human being both the physical and spiritual are so created that they can work together for upholding the mission for which man was sent on earth. As a result there is no need for an intermediary to get to God. Allah tells us about this in the Holy Qur’an in many places. For example, He says:

 

He is with you where so ever you may be. (57:4)

 

And when My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me. (2:186)

 

The physical body is like a vehicle for the soul. It can impact upon it in a negative way, by doing what is prohibited; or in a positive way by doing what is permissible. It can keep the soul bright and shinning, or it can put stains on the soul, thereby preventing its light from penetrating the cells of the body. When the light of the soul reaches all the cells of the body, and that person dies, he or she will be resurrected on Judgment Day with a brightened countenance.

 

 

Man’s Capacity:

 

Allah has given man a tremendous capacity and capability, as His Representative on earth; and has made available for his use and benefit, all that is in the skies and the earth. He says:

 

It is Allah Who has created the skies and the earth, and sends down rain from the skies; and with it brings out fruits wherewith you are fed. It is He Who has made the ships subject to you; that you may sail through the sea by His Command; and the rivers has He made (also).  And He has made subject to you the sun and the moon, both diligently pursuing their courses; and the night and the day He has also made subject to you. And He gives you all that you ask for; but if you were to count the favors of Allah, never will you be able to number them. (14:32-34)

 

Regarding the spiritual dimension of the personality, if properly managed and maintained, man can ascend as a person above the skies and can have experiences of what has been described in the Holy Qur’an as the “Unseen”. Every single person can have religious experiences of the “Unseen” if he or she lives a righteous life.

 

 

Man’s Mission:

Allah appointed man as His Khalifah, (Vicegerent) on the earth. He is supposed to always keep in mind that he is a traveler here, as the earth is not his permanent abode. One needs to constantly remind himself that he is on a journey back to his Lord. Muslims says this very often. It is mentioned in the Qur’an in the following verse:

 

(Those who have patience) when they are affected with a calamity remind themselves that they came from Allah and to Him is the returning. (2:156)

 

While on earth, man has been given certain responsibilities. The most important is to acknowledge the fact that we are all creatures and there is only one Creator. And the creatures are not in any way like the Creator. Allah tells us about this in a very simple statement He made in the Holy Qur’an. He says:

 

and there is none like unto Him. (112:4)

 

Even though we are creatures and cannot be like the Creator, we can behave like Him in some ways. He says:

 

So set thy face steadily and truly to the Faith; the nature of Allah is the Nature He has given man, there is no change in the law of Allah, that is the Upright way, but a lot of people cannot understand. (30:30)

 

The best of the Lords representative that have passed through the earth was Prophet Muhammad (pboh). Allah tells us about this in the Holy Qur’an. He says that:

 

The Prophet (pboh) never said anything of his own desire. (53:2-3)

He had the most perfect personality. (33:21)

He is the lamp that gives light. (33:46)
He continuously invited the people to Allah (33:46)

If one should follow the example given to us by Prophet Muhammad (pboh) he or she would become a friend of the Lord and an asset in society. He will spread peace in the earth; he will demonstrate love and compassion; he will be a trustworthy, sincere person, he will not be a hypocrite; and will not harbor hate, malice, jealousy, selfishness, greed, etc. He will receive from his Lord special guidance in all his undertakings.

Muslims are specially blessed as they have the opportunity to read and recite the unadulterated Words of the Lord, in the form of the Holy Qur’an.


The Blessed Tree:

A truly successful person in this world is one who can be defined as a blessed tree; that is a person who:

(a) Is able to ascend close to the Lord

(b) Is able to provide shade to passers-by.
(c) Is able to supply juicy, delicious fruits to the hungry.

Allah tells us about such a person in the form of a parable in the Holy Qur’an. He says:

Don’t you see how Allah sets forth a parable? A goodly world is like a goodly tree, whose roots are firmly fixed (in the earth) and its branches reach the skies. It brings fruits at all times, by the leave of the Lord. (14:24-25)

Every human being should try to be a goodly tree that is capable to provide help to the weary, thirsty, hungry, tired passer-by; and at the same time observing high moral principles.


How fasting helps?

Fasting in Ramadan is one of the Institutions in Islam that is designed to nurture and cultivate the qualities that will make a person fit to stand happily in the presence of the Lord on one hand, and to become a useful, sincere and truthful member of society on the other.

 

It impacts upon the individuals through what is called Tazkiyah-e-Nafs i.e. by trimming out all the unwanted qualities and desires in the individuals; in other words by pruning our trees, so that we can grow and bear sweet juicy fruits. Tazkiya has a physical, moral and spiritual program for making the individual a true and reliable representative of the Lord here on the earth.

 

In addition it is one of the opportunities to have all of one’s past sins forgiven, and it also helps the individuals to ascend higher on the way back to the Lord.

 

Perhaps, this one of the reasons for celebrating Eid, as the believer who kept the fast and did extra worship feels elevated in the sight of Allah.

 

 

The Way Forward:

 

Allah has given us a beautiful example of how we should conduct ourselves in this life, even if the environment is harsh and oppressive. He says:

 

and Verily In cattle (too) will ye find an instructive sign. from what is within their bodies between excretions and blood, we produce, for your drink, milk, pure and agreeable to those who drink it. (16:66)

 

Let us endeavour to continue to improve our lives, through submission and worship on one hand; and by dedicated service to humanity on the other. When this is done we all will become beautiful blessed trees in this world, and very important persons in the next, as we all will enter Paradise  by a special gate called Rayyaan, reserved for all those who kept the fast sincerely for the sake of Allah.

 

And let us all this day make a firm resolution that we will keep our milk pure by doing what is good and staying away from the evil.

 

May Allah forgive us for our past mistakes and guide and protect us for the remainder of our lives.

 

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

 

2013 Eid ul Fitr Sermon

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

 

اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ ، اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ ، اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ ، اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ ، اَللهُ  أَكْبَرُ ،.وَ للهِ الْحَمْدُ

 

Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu Akbar, wa lillaahi’l-hamd

Congratulations to all those who were able to keep the fast and observed extra acts of worship during the days and nights of the blessed month of Ramadan. May Allah accept all what was done for His sake during the month.

Dear brothers and sisters, today as you have decorated your outward personalities with beautiful garments; know that your soul is now also decorated as you had your Satan chained for a whole month, because you aspired to observe righteousness during the days and night of Ramadan.  Allah tells us about this in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an. He says:

O ye Children of Adam! we have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, As well As to be an adornment to you. but the raiment of righteousness,- that is the best. such are among the Signs of Allah, that They may receive admonition! (7:26)

 

Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu Akbar, wa lillaahi’l-hamd

 

As Ramadan is meant to decorate and purify the body and the soul, all those who kept the fast would have wiped out all the past stains that were on their hearts, they will rise with brightened faces on the Day of Judgment, if they take the care not to soil their hearts with wrong-doing in the future.  Allah gave the good news for striving to please Him, as follows:

One Day shalt Thou see the believing men and the believing women- How their light runs forward before them and by their right hands: (Their greeting will be): "Good news for you This day! Gardens beneath which flow rivers! to dwell therein for aye! This is indeed the highest Achievement!" (57:12)

Brothers and sisters, just as you made every effort to chain your devil during the month by restraining yourselves, and showing patience, keep up the struggle, as Satan took a vow to prevent the progeny of Adam from staying on the Straight Path. He said:

"Then will I assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left: nor wilt Thou find, In Most of them, gratitude (for Thy mercies)." (7:17)

Satan will appear on that day dirty and disgraced, and he wants us all to be like him, so Allah warns us to be careful. He says:

O ye Children of Adam! let not Satan seduce you, In the same manner As He got your parents out of the garden, stripping them of their raiment, to expose their shame: for He and His tribe watch you from a position where ye cannot see them: we made the evil ones friends (only) to those without Faith (7:27)

 

Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu Akbar, wa lillaahi’l-hamd

 

Remember all the good that you will do will be kept by your Lord and will be given to you with much more rewards. Allah says:

and whatever good ye send forth for your souls ye shall find it In Allah’s Presence (73:20)

Brothers and sisters, as you grow older you will begin to realize that all material achievements and matters are just for a time, as they are separable, and have limitations. Allah tells us so in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an. He says:

What is with you must vanish: what is with Allah will and we will certainly bestow, on those who patiently persevere, their reward to the best of their actions. (16:96)

Try your best to build a big account with your Lord by giving charity, helping the poor, the needy by giving back to Allah some of the things He gave to you. He calls such charitable acts as goodly loans which He will have to repay. He says:

If ye loan to Allah, a beautiful loan, He will double it to your (credit), and He will grant you forgiveness: for Allah is Most ready to appreciate (service), Most Forbearing. (64:17)

Some people learn the hard way, that after struggling night and day for years and amassing a lot of material assets, they suddenly find that all that they worked for disappeared either by destruction or through natural disasters, etc. Others realized that they wasted their lives, as, at the time of death, they will realize that they are leaving behind all that they have acquired in the world and because they sent nothing ahead of them, they will be destitute in the next life.

Allah warns us to be careful about our focus and purpose of life. He says:

O men! Certainly, the promise of Allah is true. Let not then this present life deceive you, nor let the chief Deceiver deceive you about Allah. (35:5)

Allah also says:

Is He, then, to whom the evil of His conduct is made alluring, so that He looks upon it As good, (equal to one who is rightly guided)? (35:8)

 

Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu Akbar, wa lillaahi’l-hamd

 

Dear brothers and sisters Allah has given every one of us the capacity to know good from evil, and the capability to be able to choose. Ramadan assisted us to make the correct choices. Do not go back and do the things that will not be of benefit to us on the onward journey. Remember good and evil cannot mix. Allah says: 

The blind and the seeing are not alike; nor are the depths of darkness and the light; nor are the (chilly) shade and the (genial) heat of the sun: nor are alike those that are Living and those that are dead. Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but Thou canst not make those to Hear who are (buried) In graves. (35:19-22)

Now is the time to listen and take action.  Take care that you do not now soil your beautiful personalities with wrong doing, in order that you will rise with the righteous on the Day of Judgment in the Companionship of the Prophet, the Martyrs and the Righteous.

May Allah forgive us all and guide and protect us so that we will be pleased to meet Him on that day and He will be well pleased to entertain us.

EID MUBARAK

Moon Sighting for Eid ul Fitr 2013

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

"Based on the fact that the moon was not sighted in Trinidad, and the evidence that came from Guyana was disputed by some of the organizations in Guyana; and after extensive consultation with local Ulooma, we have taken the decision to complete the month of Ramadan with thirty days and celebrate Eid ul Fitr on Friday 9th August 2013.  We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to the community, and pray to Allah (swt) to forgive us for any shortcomings on our path".

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed